MILLINGTON, Tenn. – MyNavy Career Center’s (MNCC) Command Pay and Personnel Administrator (CPPA) Level II Supervisor Course held its first Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, class April 1-5.
Regional Support Center (RSC) Pearl Harbor is the fifth location to give the course since it debuted last fall – about six times faster than the average Navy course.
“We got a full course up for CPPAs across the Fleet in three months, which generally takes 18-to-24 months to build, so that was a pretty herculean task,” said Lt. Cmdr. Patrice Hernandez, assistant training director at MNCC. Hernandez said the course supplements skills from CPPA “C” school, training toward the CPPA Supervisor role in the Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System (NSIPS) and the CPPA Level II qualification.
“The role elevates CPPAs’ ability to execute transactions and clerk some of their own,” said Hernandez. “If you become a CPPA Supervisor, it speeds up transaction times.”
“The future will be for this training to be at all RSCs,” said Hernandez.
The next classes are April 15-19 in Dam Neck and April 22-26 in Pensacola. The upcoming course schedule and eligibility requirements are on the CPPA Resources page at https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Support-Services/MyNavy-Career-Center/Pers-Pay-Support/CPPA-Resources/.
Sailors E-6 and above or civilians GS-5 and above, who have been designated CPPAs for six months and have the CPPA naval enlisted classification (NEC), are eligible for the course if they have completed the online prerequisites and have the required systems access.
“We want to get all eligible CPPAs into the course,” Hernandez added. “We’re not trying to put additional burden on them but we do want to make sure they’re prepared, because it is a challenging course.”
According to Chris Palmerone, the Personnel Readiness Assistance Team manager at Commander, Naval Surface Forces, Atlantic (CNSL), the course’s challenging nature speaks to its quality, and commands are seeing the results.
“The instructors are fantastic, and the course is set up well because it walks you through everything,” said Palmerone. “Conversations in the class are of particular benefit: Somebody brings up a case or particularly complex situation they had and that gets the community supporting the training effort.”
Palmerone said the course has helped improve CPPA productivity on surface platforms in the past year. From February 2023 to February 2024, CPPAs at CNSL units reduced late transactions from more than 1,100 to less than 40. Transactions in “CPPA Action Required” status, which demand CPPA attention, went down 76 percent in the same time span, maintaining Defense Department timeliness standards.
While units’ operational schedules can make it difficult to attend the course, Palmerone stressed ships’ training officers should include the course in their plans while in port.
“This is something that should be built into short- and long-range training plans,” said Palmerone. “Don’t miss an opportunity to build your knowledge toolbox. You want to have those skills before you detach from the pier and head to the tip of the spear.”
Palmerone and Hernandez both said another challenge is understanding the learning doesn’t end when the five-day class does. While the course helps CPPAs work toward Level II qualification, they still must finish the qualification card with help from their RSC.
“This course gives the requisite knowledge to show proficiency with your local RSC,” said Hernandez. “CPPAs have 180 days to finish the qual card. Some do not process many transactions, which is why the 180 days,” she added.
Palmerone said CPPAs only have provisional access during these 180 days, and completing the qualification card is the gold standard for Level II access, even if a CPPA holds their NEC or completes the course.
“The misconception out there is, ‘I’ve got the NEC so I’m qualified.’ No, on the qual card, the NEC is a prerequisite. That doesn’t mean you’re qualified,” Palmerone said. “That’s Navy qualification 101: Do you have a signature on a PQS? We’re continuously communicating with our teams to make sure they understand that.”
Palmerone said the course adds to the MyNavy HR learning continuum, reinforcing skills needed throughout a career dedicated to taking care of Sailors.
“These are opportunities the administration and personnel ratings haven’t had before, so we want to make sure we’re taking advantage of this training,” said Palmerone. “That’s how we build that next generation: mentoring, training, constant discussion, and sharing lessons learned. That solidifies the community and makes sure we can take care of Sailors, because at the end of the day that’s what we do.”
MNCC’s mission is to deliver modern hire-to-retire HR services through 24/7 customer service to Sailors, veterans, and their families. Through Sailor feedback, MNCC constantly strives to provide more resources and accurate resolutions. Contact MNCC at (833) 330-MNCC (6622) or AskMNCC@navy.mil. Find online self-service options on MyNavy Portal at my.navy.mil.
Date Taken: | 04.09.2024 |
Date Posted: | 04.09.2024 10:38 |
Story ID: | 468113 |
Location: | MILLINGTON, TENNESSEE, US |
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